About Cylindropuntia ramosissima (Engelm.) F.M.Knuth
Cylindropuntia ramosissima (Engelm.) F.M.Knuth is a decumbent, erect, or treelike cactus that can reach a maximum height close to 2 meters (or 6 feet). It produces many narrow branches composed of cylindrical segments. The segments are green when fresh and fade to gray when dry; their surface is divided into squarish, flat tubercles. These tubercles have few to no spines, or often bear a single long, straight spine. The small flowers of this cactus are orange, pink, or brownish in color. Its fruit is a small, dry, spiny structure that grows up to 2 centimeters long. Cylindropuntia ramosissima acts as a host plant for several moth species, most notably the Sphinx Moth. This cactus is native to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of the Southwestern United States (including California), Northwestern Mexico, Baja California, and Baja California's Islas San Benito.
